Current location:travel >>
On a wing and a prayer! Watch the nail
travel714People have gathered around
IntroductionIncredible new footage has revealed the nail-biting moment hundreds of baby penguins jumped off a 50 ...
Incredible new footage has revealed the nail-biting moment hundreds of baby penguins jumped off a 50ft ice cliff in Antarctica.
A National Geographic film crew was visiting Atka Bay on the Ekstrom Ice Shelf, when they spotted approximately 700 emperor penguin chicks gathering at the edge of a cliff.
To their amazement, the chicks began to leap from the summit, before smashing into the icy ocean waters below.
Thankfully, the chicks emerged from the stunt unscathed.
'This spectacular, heart-stopping moment has been witnessed by scientists before, but this is the first time the rare behavior has been filmed for television,' National Geographic explained.
Incredible new footage has revealed the nail-biting moment hundreds of baby penguins jumped off a 50ft ice cliff in Antarctica
READ MORE: Scientists warn 90% of the world's Emperor penguins could die out in just 80 years if the Antarctic keeps melting at its current rate
AdvertisementAntarctica is home to 66 known Emperor penguin colonies, who usually breed and raise their chicks in the winter.
Every January, when the chicks are around five months old, they undergo a process known as fledging.
During this process, the chicks lose their baby feathers and leave their colony for the first time, travelling to the ocean to take their first swim.
Surprisingly, this swimming lesson takes place without the supervision of any adult penguins.
'This is when they are essentially learning how to swim,' said Sara Labrousse, a researcher at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
'That's not something that their parents teach them.
'When they first go in the water, they are very awkward and unsure of themselves. They are not the fast and graceful swimmers their parents are.'
A National Geographic film crew was visiting Atka Bay on the Ekstrom Ice Shelf, when they spotted approximately 700 emperor penguin chicks gathering at the edge of a cliff
To their amazement, the chicks began to leap from the summit, before smashing into the icy ocean waters below
BREEDING PERIOD OF EMPEROR PENGUINS
MARCH TO APRIL
Emperor penguins begin a courtship - males and females usually take one partner each year.
MAY TO JULY
In the midst of Antarctica's winter, the females will lay their eggs on stable sea ice.
While females then head for the sea, males stay to incubate the eggs for a period of 65 to 75 days.
AUGUST TO NOVEMBER
Chicks are usually born during this period and stay close to their parents for several months.
At this time, chicks have fluffy feathers that aren't waterproof, so they need to steer clear of the sea.
DECEMBER TO JANUARY
Chicks completely 'fledge' - replacing their first feathers with water-tight adult feathers.
AdvertisementNormally, the chicks enter the water from a fairly safe height of around one to two feet.
However, satellite images have recently confirmed that some colonies are breeding and raising their chicks high up on ice shelves.
This means the chicks are being forced to jump into the ocena from much taller heights.
This January, a film crew, led by BAFTA award-winning cinematographer, Bertie Gregory, headed to Atka Bay in the hopes of witnessing this lofty exhibition.
'The team worked for two months in minus 5-degree temperatures and flew drones to the very limit of their capability,' National Geographic explained.
'Staying through the point of nearby ice breaking up and drifting out to the Southern Ocean, the team filmed until a storm closed in, ending all filming for the rest of the Antarctic summer.'
While scientists have witnessed the spectacular moment before, filming it proved rather tricky.
The team used a newly released camera drone, equipped with a telephoto lens, which allowed them to capture the behaviour from the air - importantly, without disrupting the pneguins.
'Filming the fledging of emperor penguins presented a unique set of challenges as the passage only takes place when the sea ice reaches its most unstable time of the year,' National Geographic added.
'Bertie and his team took every measure to ensure the safety of the crew and wildlife by assembling a world-class safety team.'
The incredible footage was captured for a new programme, Secrets of the Penguins, which will premier on Disney+ in April 2025.
'This spectacular, heart-stopping moment has been witnessed by scientists before, but this is the first time the rare behavior has been filmed for television,' National Geographic explained
The incredible footage was captured for a new programme, Secrets of the Penguins, which will premier on Disney+ in April 2025
EMPEROR PENGUIN IS THE LARGEST SPECIES OF THE FLIGHTLESS BIRD
The Emperor penguin is the largest species of penguin, reaching heights of around four feet (1.2 meters) tall, and weighing between 49 pounds (22 kilograms) and 99 pounds (44 kilograms).
They are recognisable due to their distinctive black back and head, white breast and yellow patches on their necks.
The flightless birds inhabit the Antarctic, huddling together to keep warm in the icy climate, where temperatures reach as low as -90C.
Emperor penguins breed and raise their young almost exclusively on sea ice, with the females laying eggs before heading off to hunt for food, leaving the males to incubate the egg.
If there's too little sea ice, it reduces the availability of breeding sites and prey for emperor penguins, but too much ice means longer hunting trips for adults, which means they can't feed their chicks as frequently
After the chick is born, parents take turns foraging at sea and caring for the newborn within the colony.
The birds' diet consists primarily of fish, but they will also eat crustaceans, such as krill, and cephalopods, such as squid. To facilitate hunting the penguins can remain underwater for up to 18 minutes, diving to a depth of 1,755 ft.
The relationship between Emperor penguins and sea ice is fragile.
If there's too little sea ice, it reduces the availability of breeding sites and prey, but too much ice means longer hunting trips for adults, which means they can't feed their chicks as frequently.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“International Iterations news portal”。http://www.videocameralive.com/content-96b399894.html
Related articles
Audit finds Wisconsin Capitol Police emergency response times up, calls for better tracking
travelMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Police who are responsible for security in the Wisconsin Capitol responded fast ...
【travel】
Read moreDuo charged with murder in killings of couple whose remains were found scattered on Long Island
travelRIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) — Two people were charged with murder on Monday in the killings of a couple who ...
【travel】
Read morePowerball: Oregon authorities reveal winner of $1.3B jackpot
travelSALEM, Ore. (AP) — One of the winners of a $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot this month is an immigrant ...
【travel】
Read more
Popular articles
- Twins bring closer Jhoan Duran back from injured list with strained oblique muscle
- Tesla's stock leaps on reports of Chinese approval of driving software
- How to watch the Kentucky Derby
- Conservative states challenge federal rule on treatment of transgender students
- Walmart launches store
- Arizona rancher accused of fatal shooting will not be retried, prosecutors say
Latest articles
Chilling moment masked thug calmly prepares himself before stabbing a stranger with a 10
Louisiana Supreme Court rules for new City of St. George
University of Arizona student shot to death at off
NY DA 'so sorry' for cursing at officer who tried to ticket her
Queen Mary and King Frederik are caught in a royal Photoshop row
House and Senate negotiate on bill to assist FAA
LINKS
- EU legal adviser says some FIFA player transfer rules may breach EU law
- A gunman kills 6 worshippers inside a Shiite mosque in western Afghanistan, the Taliban say
- Rays thwart Brewers' ninth
- China issues action plan on promoting digital commerce
- Johnston scores again and Stars beat Golden Knights 4
- EU legal adviser says some FIFA player transfer rules may breach EU law
- Severino finds his old form and takes a no
- Man United's ENTIRE squad 'is up for sale'
- People share their partner's most annoying habits
- Mexico proudly controls its energy but could find it hard to reach its climate goals